Dear colleagues! Fellow Ukrainians!
We continue the practice of regional meetings of the Government.
Today we are holding an offsite meeting in Zaporizhzhia region, which is of strategic importance for defence and the economy.
It is extremely important to strengthen security here, continue reconstruction, and provide comprehensive support to people.
In 2024, the Government allocated almost UAH 3.1 billion to Zaporizhzhia region for various needs.
More than UAH 623 million of this amount was allocated for recovery projects. Including the reconstruction of housing and critical infrastructure.
Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration received UAH 1.4 billion for the construction of fortifications. In total, this year we have allocated UAH 2.4 billion for the construction of defence lines in the region. This is one of the key priorities. After all, it is about protecting the lives of our military and our defence capabilities.
The Government is also constantly responding to requests from local authorities. We help and support important initiatives.
There was a request to allocate funds to repair roads used by military vehicles, and the Government allocated an additional UAH 350 million for Zaporizhzhia.
We received a request to make water and heating utilities eligible for receiving humanitarian aid, and the relevant decisions have been made.
There was another request to allocate funds for the reconstruction of an apartment building, and we made a decision to use the funds allocated in the budget to support regional policy. We will continue this practice to support the reconstruction of similar facilities here in Zaporizhzhia.
We also constantly support the region in the form of targeted subventions. These are used for the construction of shelters in schools and hospitals, the purchase of school buses, vocational education institutions and other important needs. The region has already received more than UAH 706 million for this purpose.
Today, we are distributing another UAH 206 million in subventions for the construction of school shelters in six regions. In particular, almost UAH 78 million for Zaporizhzhia region.
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The state of the energy sector is a determining factor in the life of the region and the whole country.
Due to the russian terror and abnormal heat, we record a constant shortage of generation capacities, so Ukrenergo is forced to resort to power cuts.
In these circumstances, the public demand is for fairness in the distribution of available electricity.
The Government is responding to this request and forming a list of critical facilities that are guaranteed priority electricity supply.
Based on the results of communication with the regional military administration, we refine this list. Critical facilities include gas, heat, electricity, water supply and sewerage, and hospitals. Today, we are also adding a provision that settlements and facilities within a 20-kilometre zone from the border with russia and belarus and within 20 kilometres of the frontline will not be cut off from electricity. We are also developing and improving an algorithm that will ensure a uniform sequence and duration of power cuts.
Another public demand is for effective and targeted social assistance to those who really need it.
This includes housing subsidies. We are currently simplifying the interaction between condominiums and the Pension Fund, which calculates them. We are removing unnecessary bureaucracy and thus speeding up all procedures.
We are also making decisions to continue rebuilding the medical infrastructure. Not only such facilities as Okhmatdyt, but also regional hospitals.
Today, we are allocating UAH 1.3 billion of the Council of Europe Development Bank’s loan to the Ministry of Health. This is a resource for the restoration of medical institutions. During the full-scale war, we have already fully or partially restored 885 hospitals, and this work will continue.
It is also important to ensure that our children have access to quality education. For this purpose, we are adopting a resolution that will help us attract a USD 235 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as USD 150 million from the International Development Association.
These funds will be invested in improving teaching and learning conditions in line with the standards of the New Ukrainian School.
Another important aspect is the fight against hostile propaganda.
Today, by a separate resolution, we are extending the system of special television and radio broadcasting to Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which provides, among other things, for blocking hostile electronic signals.
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I sincerely thank the residents of Zaporizhzhia region for their resilience and contribution to our common victory.
I am grateful to the defenders, doctors, teachers, rescuers, critical infrastructure workers, regional and city authorities and everyone who keeps Zaporizhzhia going.
Thank you for your attention! Glory to Ukraine!